Means for producing movement at a distance by fluid pressure



W. MGLLER V MEANS FOR PRODUCINGMOYEMENT AT A DISTANCE BY FLUID PRESSURE Filed June 11; 1930 2 Sheets-Shem; l

Oc t. 30, 1934. w MULLER 1,978,502

MEANS FOR PRODUCING MOVEMENT AT A DISTANCE BY FLUID PRESSURE Filed June 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 30, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT! OFFICE MEANS roa PRODUCING MOVEMENT AT A DISTANCE BY FLUm PRESSURE tion of Germany Application June 11, 1930, Serial No. 460,536

Germany June 17, 1929 6 Claims. (01. 33--204) This invention relates to apparatus for producing movement at a distant point. One of the objects of the invention is to provide apparatus for producing movement at a distant point by suitably controlled fluid pressure.

The invention and its aims and objects will be readily understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings of oneembodiment of the invention herein shown and described for illustrative purposes, the true scope of the invention being more particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims.

In the drawings:

' Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of one illustrative embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic plan view of the illustrative embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a detail of the magnet system and eccentric disk used in said illustrative embodiment of the invention. To render the magnet sufficiently effective, the length of the bar magnets will preferably be a multiple of the diameter of v the eccentric disk.

Fig. 4 shows illustrative means for fluid pressure.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view, similar to Fig. 2, illustrating a modified form of apparatus embodying the invention.

The embodiment of the invention herein described shows the invention as used for the transmission of compass readings, but from the following description it will be clear to those skilled in the art that the invention is not to be considered as limited to use for this purpose but that it is capable of use for many other purposes without exceeding the scope of the invention.

Referring to the drawings, in the illustrative producing embodiment of the invention, movable means are provided comprising a shaft 2 rotatably mounted by pivot suspension in the cover of a casing 4 and in a plate 8 secured to said casing by rods 6, and a magnetic system 12 carried by said shaft. The

5 shaft extends through an opening in the bottom 10 of the casing 4. The magnetic system 12 may be of any suitable construction, said system herein conveniently comprising two bar magnets 12' secured to the shaft 2 by suitable supports 12" 12''. While within the scope of the invention any suitable fluid, that is to say air or any suitable liquid or gas may be used, the present embodiment of the invention contemplates the use of air and comprises three nozzles 14 located at the apices of an equilateral triangle within the casing the different nozzles 14 to their nozzles 16. Said being in relatively close proximity to the upper opening of its corresponding nozzle 14. Each of the nozzles 14 and 16 is preferably tapered. It will be apparent that air or other fluids discharged from any one of the nozzles 14 will enter the corresponding nozzle 16. Means .are herein 35 provided for varying the effects of the fluid pressure by controlling the passage of fluid from the nozzles 14 to the nozzles 16, so as to vary, relative to each other, the amounts of fluid delivered by controlling means may be of any suitable construction. In the illustrative embodiment of the invention it comprises a disk 18 secured eccentrically to the shaft 2 in a plane between the nozzles 14 and the nozzles 16, the arrangement being such that the nozzles 14 will be more or less covered by said disks according to its angular position. In Fig. 2 the disk 18 is shown in two positions. In the full line'position thereof the two nozzles 16 to the right are fully covered while 3 the remaining nozzle 16 to the left is wholly uncovered by said disk. In the second position ofsaid disk shown, that in dotted lines, the nozzle 16 to the left, in Fig. 2, is fully covered by said disk while the two nozzles 16 to the right are wholly uncovered by said disk. In all there are six fundamental positions of the disk, namely two for each nozzle 16, said nozzle being either wholly uncovered while the other two are wholly covered, or said two nozzles 16 are wholly free and the first-named nozzle 16 is wholly covered. In each intermediate position between said fundamental positions, the extent to which the nozzles are covered relative to each-other is in a de-' termined relation.

Each of the three nozzles 16 communicates by a tube or passage 22 with separate fluid pressure responsive means, herein preferably a diaphragm chamber 24, mounted upon a suitable plate 26, the

three p agm chambers being so positioned relative to each other that their diaphragms 28 form an equilateral triangle, the plane of said Idiaphragms being preferably substantially perpendicular to the plate 26. Within the scope of my invention, any suitable means may be used to transmit the resultant of the movement of the three diaphragms to a disk 50. To the center of each diaphragm 28 is pivotally connected one end of a link 30, the other end of said link being pivotally connected to a lever 32 having its lower end fulcrumed upon the plate 26 and its upper end pivoted to one end of a link 34 the other end of which is pivotally connected to a member 38 bored centrally at 36. The fulcrums at the lower ends of the three levers 32 are located at the apices of an equilateral triangle and the arrangement above described is such that the bore 36 will occupy the center of the equilateral triangle formed by the three diaphragms 28 so long as the pressure is the same in each of the three diaphragm chambers 24. Should the ratio of pressure in the three diaphragm chambers 24 change, the different pressures in said three diaphragm chambers will form a resultant having a well determined direction and the member 38 will be displaced in such manner that the direction of the line connecting the center of the equilateral triangle formed by the diaphragms 28 with the center of the bore 36 will be moved or adjusted in the direction of this resultant. In the center of said equilateral triangle there is secured to the plate 26 one end of a resilient rod 40 which extends upwardly with a sliding fit through the bore 36 of the member 38. Adjacent its upper end said rod engages a forked crank 42 on the lower end of a shaft 48 journalled in the top plate 46 carried at the upper ends of the rods 44. Said shaft 48 carries movable means, herein a compass card 50. A change in the pressure ratio in the three diaphragm chambers 24 effects, as above stated, a deviation of the member 38 and the latter bends the resilient rod 40 in that direction so that the latter by its sliding engagement with the slot of the forked crank 42 moves or adjusts the slot of the crank 42 in the direction of the resultant of the three pressures and correspondingly moves or adjusts the card 50.

Therefore, if, responsive to the action of the magnet system 12 the eccentric disk 18 be turned or adjusted to a different position, the ratio of the covering of the three nozzles 14 will be correspondingly changed. As a result the ratio of the air streams entering the nozzles 16 will also be changed. A corresponding change results in the ratio of the pressures acting on the three diaphragms 28 so that the compass card 50 will be correspondingly moved or adjusted. For each position of the eccentric disk 18 there is, therefore, a corresponding exactly determined position of the movable member or disk 50.

It will be apparent that the disk 50 is in fact a secondary compass card controlled by the master compass 12. It will be apparent also that within the scope of the invention a plurality of secondary compass cards could be thus controlled by a single master compass. In the illustrative embodiment of the invention described for example, this could be accomplished by branching the tubes 22 and correspondingly multiplying the mechanism herein described between said tubes and the compass card 50. It will also be apparent that within the scope of the invention instead of three pairs of nozzles 14 and 16 a greater number could be used, the tubes 22 and. mechanism between the latter and the disk 50 being correspondingly multiplied. In such case the diaphragms would form a square or a regular polygon. Fig. 5 illustrates the modifications herein referred to. Referring to said figure an eccentric disk 18a similar to the eccentric disk 18 controls by its angular movement the supply of fluid pressure to four nozzles 16a which are connected by four passages 22a-22b to four pressure responsive means, namely four diaphragm chambers 24a, the diaphragms 28a of which are connected to member 38a, similar to member 38, by links 30a, levers 32a and links 34a, similar to links 30, levers 32 and links 34, and acting on a resilient rod 46a passing through said member 38a in exactly the same manner as in the embodiment previously described. Passages 22c lead from passages 22a to four diaphragm chambers 240, the diaphragms 280 of which are connected by links 300, levers 32c and links 340 with a member 380 similar to the member 38, and act upon the resilient rod 400 and parts operated thereby in exactly the same manner as in the first illustrative embodiment described.

Any suitable means may be used to supply the fluid pressure without departing from the scope of the invention. In the illustrative embodiment of the invention above described the air pressure is produced by exhausting air from the casing 4 which results in air being drawn into the casing through the nozzles 14 whence it passes into the nozzle 16, but it will be apparent that instead of this arrangement 'air or any other suitable fluid under pressure could be supplied from any suitable source to the nozzles 14 to supply the nozzles 16.

The use of the invention for the transmission of compass readings from a distant point is of great advantage in aircraft as it enables the compass itself to be located at a point where it will be unaffected by influences that might impair its accuracy or otherwise injuriously affect it and its readings to be transmitted to one or more compass cards located at any points desired. Thus in the case of an aeroplane the compass proper could be located" in the tail for example, where it would be free from the influence of the metallic mass of the engine, while its readings could be transmitted to a compass card located within reach of the pilot. In the case of air-- craft the desired fluid pressure may be secured by exhausting the air from the casing 4 by a Venturi tube connected to the interior of said casing by a tube 20. Such a Venturi tube 52 is shown on a reduced scale in Fig. 4.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the transmission of motion other than rotary is within the scope of the invention.

I am aware that my invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof; and I therefore desire the present embodiments to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. The combination of a compass card; three or more symmetrically related diaphragm chambers; a pressure fluid supply passage for each diaphragm chamber; means to supply pressure fluid to said passages; mechanism intermediate the diaphragms of said diaphragm chambers and said compass card to impart to said card rotary movement in response to the action thereon of the resultant of the movements of said diaphragms responsive to the fluid pressures in their chambers; a compass located at a distance from said compass card and comprising a relatively rotatable compass element and casing in which said element is mounted; and means to control the fluid pressure supplied to said passages and governed by relative rotation of the element and casing of said compass to distribute the fluid pressure in different ratios among said passages and diaphragm chambers, according to the relative angular movements or said compass element and its casing, whereby indications of said compass element will be reproduced by said compass card.

2. The combination of a compass card; three or more flxed, symmetrically related fluid pressure responsive means; a pressure fluid supply passage for each fluid pressure responsive means; means to supply pressure fluid to said passages; mecha- 10' nism intermediate said fluid pressure responsive means and said compass card to impart to said card rotary movement in response to the action thereon of ,the resultant of the movements of said fluid pressure responsive means responsive to the fluid pressure therein; a compass located at a distance from said compass card and comprising a relatively rotatable compass element and casing in which said element is mounted; and means to control the pressure fluid supplied to said passages and governed by relative rotation of the element and easing of said compass to distribute the fluid pressure indifferent ratios among said fluid pressure supply passages and said pressure responsive means,'-according to the relative angular ,movements of said compass casing and its element; whereby the indications of said compass will be reproduced. by said compass card.,

3. The combination of angularly movable means, angularly movable throughout at least 360; three or more diaphragm chambers symmetrically related; a pressure fluid supply passage for each'diaphragm chamber; means to supply pressure fluid to said passages; mechanism intermediate the diaphragms of said diaphragm chambers and said angularly movable means to impart to the latter angular movement in response to-the action thereon of the resultant of the -movements of-said diaphragms responsive to the fluid pressures in their chambers; an an-. gularly movable element movable throughout any angle up to 360 and located at a distance from said angularly movable means; and means governed by movement of said angularly movable element to control the supply of pressure fluid to said passages, thereby to vary the ratio of fluid pressures in said diaphragm chambers, according to the angular movement of said angularly movable element, whereby angular movements oi said angularly movable element will be reproduced by said angularly movable means.

4. Apparatus for producing rotary movement from a distance, comprising in combination, a source or fluid pressure; a crank; crank actuating means; at least three symmetrically related.

fluid pressure responsive means acting in different directions on said crank actuating means and connected by passages with said source of fluid pressure, said passages being provided with symmetrically related pressure fluid intake openings; a disk mounted eccentrically to its axis oi rotation, said axis being centered relative to the intake openings of said passages, said disk and said intake openings being relatively rotatable through 360 to cover and uncover more or less said intake openings, thereby to vary relative to each other the fluid pressures in said passages, to cause said fluid pressure responsive means to rotate said crank through the same angle as that or the relative rotation of said intake openings and said disk.

5. The combination of a compass card; three or more symmetrically-related fluid pressure responsive means; a pressure fluid supply passage for each fluid pressure responsive means; means to supply pressure fluid to said passages; mechanism, comprising a resilient member, intermediate said fluid pressure responsive means and said compass card to impart to said compass card rotary movement in response to the action thereon or the resultant of the movements of said fluid pressure responsive means responsive to the fluid pressures therein; a compass located at a distance from said compass card and comprising a relatively rotatable compass element and casing therefor; and means to control the pressure fluid supplied to said passages and governed by relative rotation of the element and casingof said compass to distribute the fluid pressure in different ratios among said fluid pressure supply passages according to the relative angular movements of said compass casing and its element, whereby the indications of said compass will be reproduced by said compass card.

6. Apparatus for producing rotary movement from a distance, comprising in combination pressure fluid supplying means; a crank; a resilient member to operate said crank; means to cause said pressure fluid to act in a plurality of directions upon said resilient member, whereby to move the same in the direction or the resultant of the directions of action of said pressure fluid, to rotate said crank; and controlling means cooperating with said pressure fluid supply means to vary relative to each other the fluid pressures acting on said resilient member, thereby to vary the direction of said resultant and correspondingly the extent of rotary movement imparted to said crank.

WALDEMAR MfiLLER. 

